U.S. CONCERNED OVER SA-18 SALE TO SYRIA

WASHINGTON [MENL] -- The United States has expressed concern that theRussian sale of anti-aircraft missiles to Damascus would be the first ofseveral military deals with Syria. Officials said Congress and the Bush administration regard the plannedSA-18 surface-to-air missile sale to Syria as the first of a series of dealsmeant to modernize Syria's military. They said they could not rule out thatsome of the weapons would be transferred to the Iranian-sponsored Hizbullah.